Becoming
by sweet-virginia-sparks
Summary: They were shy & they were nervous, but sitting in a busy kitchen they finally let it show. [Ryelsi OneShot] [Dedicated to Katie]


**A/N: This is for you Katie :D It's a first attempt so don't start with high expectations, LOL, but I still hope you like it. And everyone else too!**

_Realizations._

Eight grade biology. They had met in eighth grade biology, their relationship consisting of well, nothing. With the exception of the occasional "Do you have the answer to number twelve?" they went along as classmates and nothing more. Then eighth grade ended and high school brought them together under the fluorescent lights of the stage and the sticky cafeteria tables. Slowly their conversations became more personal than frog dissections and cell reproduction, but platonic they stayed. Until now. Until "the group" began to form, a mix of geek and drama queen, of jock and baker, of performer and playwright, of brainiac and superstar. Until suddenly they found themselves together, always together.

She began to find excitement in homeroom; he began to spend even more time in the auditorium. Suddenly movie nights and weekend parties brought butterflies and beating hearts because the thought of being close, well that trumped every other emotion.

That's when they began to realize that they were falling, falling for each other.

_Inhibitions._

He sat only a foot away but he admired from afar. Light wisps of auburn locks fell from under her hat and without breaking her concentration from the scribbles on one of her numerous music sheets; she softly tucked them behind her ear, causing his breath to hitch and his gaze on her soft eyes to break. She was beautiful, especially to him, on the outside and deep inside. Her smile, her petite hands that were always busy writing who knows what for who knows when, the way she cared so deeply about her friends, the way that sometimes when she caught him looking her eyes lingered on his for a second before nervously turning away.

Today he watched her write and re-write the same scene over and over, always finding a way to make it better, make it more captivating, more detailed, more _her_. She made him smile every time she did this, she would be mid-bite of her daily tomato and turkey sandwich when an idea would hit. Lunch would be forgotten quickly, paper would be found and her mind would travel away from the familiar red and white cafeteria with its round tables and groups of gabbing students. Then as her pencil danced across the page, it would be mirroring the words in her mind. So badly he wanted to sit closer, closer than anyone else ever had. Just the thought sent a small tingle down his spine as he imagined it, every little detail, again and again in his mind. He had never wanted, no _desired_, anything like he desired her. Not even at the age of eight when he wanted a dog so desperately he ran away to the pound and wouldn't leave until his parents let him bring home the sweet chocolate lab with sad eyes now known as Benji. But desire was a funny thing, for as much as he wanted her, an equally great fear of getting that close loomed over his head taunting him every time she walked away, none the wiser of his hidden feelings.

_Stolen glances._

Sitting comfortably on a deep blue couch, her eyes left the television screen and caught on a familiar profile, his face visible in the dark only by the light of the movie. The rest of the group sat around, attention mostly set on the story in front of them, but her mind had left the onscreen action and she found herself focusing on the small details on his face. Although they were locked into her memory she still sat there with her eyes traveling from the bridge of his nose to his soft lips. She died to feel those lips against her own, their look was so familiar but their touch was still unknown. Letting out a sigh her eyes wandered to his hands, his strong but gentle hands. It wasn't like someone with his build to have such strong hands but she knew, she had watched him enough countless times to see the unnoticed strength he carefully possessed.

Suddenly his eyes flickered from the screen and his head turned to meet her gaze. He smiled when he saw her beautiful face and that's all it took for their eyes to connect and their surroundings, the passing of popcorn and the fidgeting of feet, to melt away. She returned the smile as her eyes looked deeply into his, she felt her heart beat a little faster and her cheeks turn a little pinker but she couldn't look away. She lived for these stolen glances.

_Careful words._

A huffing Miss Darbus walked quickly out of her homeroom, leaving seventeen teenagers alone in the erratically decorated classroom. Called to the auditorium when a smashed play prop had been discovered she had left, much to the student's delight, without getting another teacher to fill in. Now the teacher-less classroom came to life, buzzing with chatter and the rustling of desks as teenagers moved around to talk to friends. Seeing a prime opportunity to work on a scene she had left unfinished the night before she quickly pulled out a small pile of papers, arranged in only a way she could understand and grabbed a pencil from her bag. Although the room around him was active he didn't strike up any conversation or turn around in his desk. He sat there silently, watching her work, but carefully as to avoid her attention. Her brow scrunched up and she paused to look unpleased at the paper in front of her. Then reading the words on the page, he lips moving with every syllable she started chewing on her pencil. Then suddenly he was knocked out of his trance when she turned to him, "Does this seem right? I feel like the scene is very rushed."

"Um, I..." he coughed and took the paper from her. Taking in the way she dotted her "i" off center and slanted her "h" he read over her words.

"It's amazing." He breathed, being completely truthful.

"_You're amazing." _His mind silently screamed.

"Really?" she questioned him, her eyes unsure.

He nodded and looked into her eyes, "Everything you write is amazing."

Her mouth dropped very slightly and he inhaled quickly at the sight of her soft pink lips.

"Thanks, but that's not true. Half of it goes in the garbage." She blushed at his kind words.

"It is true; no one else can write like that, you make it so real." He found his cheeks blushing to match hers as he spoke energetically.

"No, you make it so real. You're the one on stage."

"Joint effort?" he grinned.

She smiled back and nodded. "Definitely."

_Becoming._

Sitting in a light blue kitchen she reached across the crowded wooden table to carefully grab another cupcake (although not carefully enough because a small smudge of pink icing was later found on her sleeve). The rest of the group mimicked her actions as cookies and cupcakes were passed around the square table, hands reaching this way and that for different plates of desserts. The conversation drifted from school to movies to Darbus to next weekend to potato chips and just about everything else. She was busy laughing at imitation of Principal Matsui when she slid her foot under her chair, and blushed suddenly when it hit someone else's. _His_.

"Sorry" she mumbled, quickly moving her foot as far away from _his_ as she could.

He shrugged with a smile and an "'S'okay", then moved his attention back to the group, who were in a giggling debate over purse dogs, go figure. She found herself smiling at her friends, so different they all were yet together they were perfect. Her observation kept her from noticing his descent into silence as she went on laughing and eating bits of her cupcake, picking up little icing covered pieces with her slender fingers. But then suddenly a warm hand slid into hers and she was rendered speechless. Her heart began to speed up and she could swear that she felt her cheeks turn pink. Unable to look at him she did what felt natural, wrap her fingers around his. With their faces never turning towards each other, for the hand holding was nerve-wracking enough, they continued on with their friends as if nothing of earth-shattering importance, to them at least, had just taken place right there in the kitchen. Their hands lay together under the table, only known to them, not yet ready to be shared.

And that is how, in their own way, they went from being Ryan and Kelsi to _RyanandKelsi._

**A/N: Okay, so this isn't my best work. I hate to sound self degrading but this was really hard for me. I've never written like this or for this pairing before so it was an adventure. But I'm glad I finally wrote a Ryelsi for Katie, so I'm content. Now I just need to her review with some lovely constructive criticism. Oh Ka-tie!**

**xoxoxox**

**Sparks**


End file.
